What is Kekkai?
Japanese is known as a non-descriptive language and we sometimes talk without words.
We often spot this bar in Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, and other facilities. It is a Kekkai (結界). Kekkai originally means the border between the sacred and secular world but this bar only works as a border and means “This is as far as you go” and also has numerous meaning depending o situations: Private, authorized personnel only, restricted area, (something is) not available, and so on.
Kekkai makes the invisible wall and has the same meaning these fences have.
This is a basic and typical usage. The bar is in front of a opened sliding doors leads to the garden. It means, “This place is not available for entering the garden.”
Stone(s) tightened with rope has the same meaning. It is usually found outside of doors.
The basic meaning gives birth to other ones. If a Kekkai is located in front a door of a room, it means “Private” or something like that.
In this case, “Don’t have a seat.”
And this means, “Don’t touch the racoon dog.”
Why Kekkai, instead of cautions?
Why do we place Kekkai instead of stating cautions? It is hard to answer because it is nothing peculiar for me but I can assume some reasons.
First, stated cations are 角が立つ (Kado ga Tatsu). The sentence means that behaviors or words make someone annoyed.
We know we can’t behave as we want to in other’s place. That is a common sense we have. On the other hand, the owner wants us not to do something.
With a caution like “Private,” we feel as if we were said, “This is a private place, you understand?” in an asserted voice. It seems a lack of empathy.
Second, stated cautions would be an eyesore.
As you see, these bars are in beautiful places. A piece of paper saying “Private” will ruin them. In addition to it, it also ruin the calmness. It may sound strange but it ruin the calmness in our aesthetic sense.
We find some cautions in some places. I’m sure and guarantee that is a polite service but I suppose our decency might be collapsing these days on the other hand. 合掌
